With more than $217 million already committed to 21 players, the Dodgers would have to stretch their budget - and pay a higher luxury tax - to land Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

It has been a relatively quiet shopping season for the Dodgers this winter.

A year ago, they committed over $200 million to sign just two pitchers -- Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu. This year's expenditures have been much more modest -- one-year deals for Brian Wilson, Dan Haren, Jamey Wright and Chris Perez and two-year deals for J.P. Howell and Juan Uribe.

Even with that relative moderation, the Dodgers have $217.475 million committed to 21 players for the 2014 season. That total does not include all signing bonuses or incentive clauses that might kick in. It also doesn't include the likely $30 million (or so) in additional salaries when they sign their three arbitration-eligible players -- ace Clayton Kershaw, catcher A.J. Ellis and closer Kenley Jansen.

A $250 million payroll (and an even bigger luxury tax hit than the $11.4 million the Dodgers paid in 2013) seems inevitable -- before the Dodgers even think about getting involved in the bidding for Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka who was officially posted Thursday.

Earlier this week, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti was asked about the team's interest in Tanaka and declined to answer.

"I'm not going to discuss that," said Colletti, who acknowledged earlier this winter that the Dodgers had scouted Tanaka and were "very familiar" with him. "If he gets posted we'll go from there."

But how far are they willing to go?

Here's what their payroll looks like now.

RHP Zack Greinke – Signed through 2018 ($24 million)

OF Matt Kemp – Signed through 2019 ($21 million)

1B Adrian Gonzalez – Signed through 2018 ($21 million)

OF Carl Crawford – Signed through 2017 ($20.25 million)

SS Hanley Ramirez – Signed through 2014 ($16 million)

RHP Josh Beckett – Signed through 2014 ($15.75 million)

OF Andre Ethier – Signed through 2017 ($15.5 million)

RHP Chad Billingsley – Signed through 2014 ($15 million)

RHP Dan Haren -- Signed through 2014 ($10 million)

RHP Brian Wilson -- Signed through 2015 ($10 million)

RHP Brandon League – Signed through 2015 ($7.5 million)

3B Juan Uribe -- Signed through 2015 ($6 million plus $2 million signing bonus and $1 million deferred signing bonus from previous contract now payable)

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